Grammar

[Jake]

Working on the booklet for the PittStop III, and realized that I have no idea about the grammar of the term "DJ" (deejay?). I'm interested in both technically correct and common usage.

[BryanC]

There's no official rule for the usage of the specific word "DJ" (especially as a verb), however, since DJ is an abbreviation of the term "Disc Jockey", if you're going to use it as a verb, there should be an apostrophe between the abbreviation and the "verbed" bits.

[JesseMiner]

I've always used DJ.

Looking at www.dictionary.com:

DJ

n. A disc jockey.

v. DJ'ed, DJ'ing, DJ's
v. tr.

To act as a disc jockey at (a social gathering or radio station).

v. intr. To act as a disc jockey.

And deejay seems to be an informal way of saying the same thing:

deejay

n. Informal A disc jockey.

And you can find some more information from Merriam-Webster Online:

Main Entry: disc jockey
Function: noun
Date: 1941
: an announcer of a radio show of popular recorded music; also : one who plays recorded music for dancing at a nightclub or party

Main Entry: deejay
Pronunciation: 'dE-"jA
Function: noun
Etymology: disc jockey
Date: circa 1949

Main Entry: DJ
Pronunciation: 'dE-"jA
Function: noun
Usage: often not capitalized
Date: 1950

So go with whatever works best for you. I still prefer DJ.

Jesse

[Jake]

That seems pretty definitive; I'll use "DJ'ed" and "DJ's."

Two other questions, though:

1.) Plural. Would I refer to multiple DJs, or multiple DJ's.

2.) Posessive. I would refer to a DJ's groupies, right?

[SpuzBal]

The only times that an apostrophe is EVER used in the English language are when forming a contraction ("is not" --> "isn't") and when showing possession ("John's music"). It is never used to form a plural ("DJ's"), nor is it used when conjugating verbs ("John DJ'ed").

Haha, sorry for the grammar Nazism. I'm just a stickler for proper use of apostrophes.

Oh, and in response to your poll, the first and the last options would both be perfectly grammatical.

[Jake]

The only times that an apostrophe is EVER used in the English language are when forming a contraction ("is not" --> "isn't") and when showing possession ("John's music"). It is never used to form a plural ("DJ's"), nor is it used when conjugating verbs ("John DJ'ed").

So dictionary.com has it wrong?? Wow... Who knew the Internet could lie?

[JesseMiner]

The only times that an apostrophe is EVER used in the English language are when forming a contraction ("is not" --> "isn't") and when showing possession ("John's music"). It is never used to form a plural ("DJ's"), nor is it used when conjugating verbs ("John DJ'ed").

This is what I have always thought as well. In the past I have probably written DJs or DJing or DJed, but I have come to doubt my correctness as many people out there do refer to multiple DJs as DJ's (example: DJ's To Go). I figured there was maybe some other rule I wasn't aware of that applies when using a word that is actually initials (DJ being short for Disc Jockey), but now I realize it's just another gross bastardization of the English language/grammar.

Jesse

[kennly]

Completely agree. It is never correct to make a plural with an apostrophe followed by "s"; instead, you would either add an "s", or "ies" (i.e. candies or phones)...you would never say, "I have twelve phone's."

Just my thoughts. Although since the flier/flyer is for dancers, I guess it doesn't much matter....





(thought of the day: both flier and flyer are correct spellings for the same word! odd!)

[gatorgal]

(thought of the day: both flier and flyer are correct spellings for the same word! odd!)

Further proof that English is the hardest language on the planet to learn.

Tina

[mark0tz]

http://www.engrish.com

[gatorgal]

http://www.engrish.com

Oh, this is a riot!

Tina

[SpuzBal]

Completely agree. It is never correct to make a plural with an apostrophe followed by "s"; instead, you would either add an "s", or "ies" (i.e. candies or phones)...you would never say, "I have twelve phone's."

HIGH FIVE!! GRAMMAR ROCKS!!

Heh.

[SpuzBal]

The only times that an apostrophe is EVER used in the English language are when forming a contraction ("is not" --> "isn't") and when showing possession ("John's music"). It is never used to form a plural ("DJ's"), nor is it used when conjugating verbs ("John DJ'ed").

So dictionary.com has it wrong?? Wow... Who knew the Internet could lie?

Well...technically, dictionaries are descriptive rather than prescriptive, so dictionary.com may simply be fairly liberal when it comes to adding common usages to their dictionary. In other words, while your high school English teacher would have a fit, tons of people do say "DJ's" and "DJ'ed." So as much as we grammar nerds hate to admit it, dictionary.com could be considered correct from the perspective of a relatively liberal linguistics scholar.

[JeremyLewis]

For your reference and amusement..

http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

Jeremy

[Lawrence]

For your reference and amusement..

http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

Jeremy

Nice.